The Meanings of Roses
by Mistress Belladonna Black
Summary: Helen gets a...small...surprise. My Febuary story for the GW forum! Love you guys!


Helen leaned against the cold stonewall of the tower and stared out over Old City. It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set, washing the city in an orange glow. She sighed and closed her eyes. Memories washed over her and Helen felt her eyes get that precry burn and allowed the tears to silently fall down over her cheeks. She felt so alone, and for the first time in her life she felt so close to absolute loneliness that she was beginning to wish she hadn't used the Source Blood, why did she need to live forever when there was no one she loved to live for? Ashley, her beloved child, her baby, was now and forever dead. Nigel, dead. Watson, dead. Druitt, might as well be dead. Nikola...Nikola was now mortal and would die. She felt more tears spring up and she wiped away at them. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard the light footsteps behind her until a smooth and silky voice seemed to fill the room.

"Helen?"

_ Nikola_.

"Yes Nikola?"

"Whats wrong?"

"Oh nothing, just me getting emotional."

"Ah I see...that time of the month eh?" He smirked and a light blush seeped up upon his neck quickly and receaded just as quickly.

"No Nikola." She sighed at him, she hadn't turned to look at him yet. She didn't want to see the color in his cheeks. For years she had missed him as a mortal, but now that he was mortal it meant not only to feel warm but, also, to die. And for Helen it was too much, she need to get her whits about her but just thinking about him dying again seemed to spring more tears.

She didn't realize he had moved and was surprised when he moved to turn her around, her head fell instinctively to the crook of his shoulder and she wept silently, as her body shuddered with her ragged breathing he gently moved his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner until she quieted. They stayed like that for sometime before they began to pull away from each other.

"Thank you Nikola." She said when he handed her his hankerchief.

"Of course Helen, anything to help." He smiled at her softly and turned away. She watched him leave and she leaned up against the walls again.

~*~*~*~

_11 hours later_

~*~*~*~

It was almost four the following morning before Helen made her way to bed for about an hours worth of sleep before she would be up again working. She quickly made her way to her bedroom, before entering she leaned heavily against the door and sighing before entering. When she turned on the lights she gasped at what lay before her.

Bouquets of roses lay on her bed. Red, yellow, pink, coral, white, and more. She stood rooted to the spot. '_Who on earth bought me all of these roses?!'_ She thought to herself as she stared at the large arrangement. She then saw a page that had been ripped out of a book lay directly in the middle of the pile, she smiled as she began to read the paper.

_"These roses are for you, they all mean something my dear Helen. _

_The yellow roses stand for friendship, _

_The dark pinks are for thankfulness._

_The pale pinks are for your grace and beauty,_

_The pale peaches, your modesty._

_The lavenders are for enchantment,_

_The orange, fascination._

_The whites stand for innocence _

_They also stand for secrecy._

_The corals are my desires._

_And the reds..._

_The reds are for my love."_

Helen gasped as she read the last three lines of the paper, she read them again and looked up at the mound of flowers. She looked at the note again this time not reading the words but looking at the script. She knew this handwriting. She would know this handwriting anywhere.

Helen quickly left her room, she soon found herself outside of Nikolas bedroom door. She knocked quietly and waited, after several seconds of no answers she knocked again harder this time and still nothing. If he wasn't in here then where would he be?

_'The tower.'_

Within minutes Helen was climbing up the stares quietly when she reached the top she stood and watched Nikola for a moment before she cleared her throat and walked in.

"Hello Nikola."

"Helen, what a surprise, I would have thought you would have been in bed by now."

"Well it was my plan but I found a small surprise when I had reached my room."

"Really? What was it?"

"Oh nothing really," she moved to the opposite side of the window and looked out avoiding his face on purpose.

"Oh." His tone was one of rejection. He looked around then out of the window as well.

"Yes...well I guess I had better be off. I have a few things to move."

"Yeah, good night Helen." He hadn't looked back from the window.

Helen moved away and quickly made her way back to her bedroom.

~*~*~

Nikola was crushed. The woman he had loved for over a century had found his flowers as nothing. He stayed by the window for several minutes after Helen had left, he didn't want to face her again tonight. He soon slowly made his way to his bedroom. He flipped the light switch and began to unbotton his jacket when he saw something on his bed.

A single red rose.

Nikola felt his heart beat inside his chest. A red rose. Helen? He dashed from his bedroom and knocked quickly on the door he found himself in front of.

"Come in!" Her voice called to him from inside. He opened the door and saw Helen leaning up against her bed post holding a coral rose in her hand, lightly stroking the flower petals.

The two stared at each other for several moments before either spoke.

"I'm glad you came." She said quietly.

" I'm glad I was invited." He moved closer to her until the tips of their shoes were touching.

"Nikola...I-" but she was cut off by Nikolas lips covering hers.

The kiss began tenderly, hesitantly, but it quickly grew. Helen traced his bottom lip with her tongue and he quickly followed suit. Their tongues began a duel, both wanting to win and lose at the same time. But they were stopped by their need for air.

"Helen....I love you. I've loved you since we were friends in Oxford. Please Helen, say you feel something more than just friendship for me."

"Oh Nikola, sometimes you are an incredibly stupid man." She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him back into a kiss.

~Fin


End file.
